Conservation Threats

 Fireflies are amazing creatures that can light up the night sky and stun those watching by what appears to be magical. North America is home to over 150 species of fireflies, with the main groups that flash in North America being the Photinus, Pyractomena, and Photuri (1). The light they display for communicating comes from a chemical reaction created in their lower abdomen. While not all male fireflies light up the sky, many do for the purpose of finding a mate (2). Fireflies begin their lives as larvae and consume snails, earthworms, and other invertebrates. They could spend years as larvae before developing into full fledge adult fireflies, and by that time they’re focused on mating and usually left with a few weeks of life (2). Most female fireflies in North America don’t fly and rest on plants while waiting to flash their receptive light to the right partner (1).

Fireflies come out during the warm summer months and there can be 10 or more species all flashing for a potential mate in the same habitat (3). The flashes of bioluminescent fireflies can help reveal different species by the way their light varies in color, duration, and patterns. Interestingly, female Photuris fireflies have the ability to communicate in flash patterns of other firefly species and use the technique to eat males outside their species as they approach to mate (4). Photuris females’ ability to mimic and aerially attack fireflies has led to the signal evolution of some Photinus fireflies, increasing their dark periods and flash patterns to avoid predation from Photuris females (5). Fireflies can use the toxic chemicals responsible for their lighting to ward off predators, they can release traces of blood to reveal their toxicity and some predators have learned from history to avoid fireflies (1). Fireflies have many features that are truly unique and awing.

When eight different regions were surveyed on the most serious threats to fireflies, the results showed habitat loss, artificial light, and pesticide use as the top three threats (3). Habitat loss has mostly been caused from urbanization, rising populations, and residential and commercial development. Firefly transmissions of sexual signals are usually habitat dependent, and changes to habitat can result in habitat-related divergence of signal traits (5). Artificial light can greatly disturb and eliminate the possibility of fireflies to find mates. Artificial light at night (ALAN) has been documented to reduce courtship flashing for the Pteroptyx maipo, Photuris, and male Photinus fireflies (3). Male and female fireflies rely on flashing to each other to signal they’re interest, they can’t mate if they’re unable to find each other (1). The use of pesticides can cause high insecticide concentrations in water and soil. During the larval stage of fireflies, fireflies can be exposed to the harmful product as different species develop underwater, on vegetation, and in soil (3).

Firefly Watch helps address these conservation threats by monitoring firefly behaviors and by tracking locations. The ability to record observations that include habitat types, lightening patterns, and weather factors can enlighten researchers and the public on what could be affecting fireflies. Firefly Watch could also open doors for ventures into firefly ecotourism in North America, which done under the right conditions could help protect fireflies from certain threats. Firefly tourism has been shown to bring over 1 million tourists to at least 12 different countries (3).  

Sources:

(1) Mass Audubon. (n.d.). About Fireflies. Mass Audubon. https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/insects-arachnids/fireflies/about

(2) Lewis, S. M., Thancharoen, A., Wong, C. H., López, P. T., Santos, P. V., Wu, C., Faust, L., De Cock, R., Owens, A. C. S., Lemelin, R. H., Gurung, H., Jusoh, W. F. A., Trujillo, D., Yiu, V., López, P. J., Jaikla, S., & Reed, J. M. (2021). Firefly tourism: Advancing a global phenomenon toward a brighter future. Conservation Science & Practice, 3(5), 1–18. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/10.1111/csp2.391  

(3) Lewis, S. M., Wong, C. H., Owens, A. C. S., Fallon, C., Jepsen, S., Thancharoen, A., Wu, C., Cock, R. D., Novák, M., López-Palafox, T., Khoo, V., & Reed, J. M. (2020). A Global Perspective on Firefly Extinction Threats. BioScience, 70(2), 157–167. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/10.1093/biosci/biz157 

(4) Lloyd, J. E. (1990). Firefly semiosystematics and predation: a history. The Florida Entomologist, 73(1), 51–66. https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/stable/3495329?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

(5) Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Lloyd, J. E. (2015). Flash signal evolution in photinus fireflies: character displacement and signal exploitation in a visual communication system. Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution, 69(3), 666–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12606

(6) Evans, T., Salvatore, D., Van de Pol, M., & Musters, K. (2019). Adult firefly abundance is linked to weather during the larval stage in the previous year. Ecological Entomology, 44(2), 265–273. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/doi/full/10.1111/een.12702?sid=worldcat.org

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